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Friday, June 18, 2010

Seven Quick Takes Friday--volume 85

One.

This week has been very busy, which is not to say that it has been very productive. I did make a little headway on some crafts, got some weeding done and made time to read to the boys. I did a lot of laundry and made butter. I have my cut list for our steer ready to call in to the butcher. But my eye has a tendency to fall on that which didn't get done. Like my windows. And my bathrooms. Yuck.

Two.

I am trying to make decisions about the next school year, and it is not something I like to do. I am haunted by past failures, by all the books that were ordered with the best of intentions and then abandoned halfway through the year, or never used at all. I am trying to scale back and not put more on the plan than I have to, and at the same time make sure I am covering all my bases. I am investing the bulk of the school budget in math and writing programs, and trying to use what I have on hand--or can get from the internet or our really tiny public library--for the non-core subjects.

Three.

My sister is venturing into simple wine-making. We are not talking about fancy stuff with special grape concentrates and champagne yeast. We are talking "convert grape juice to wine on your kitchen counter" stuff, and I, for one, am all for it. I drink my cheap wine highly adulterated anyway (ice and cran-raspberry juice are often additives, so the taste really only has to suggest wine). Many moons ago, in my love of all things medieval, I made mead in my kitchen in Tucson, Arizona. It was easy enough, but the results were often inconsistent. Anyone have some good kitchen wine recipes?

Four.

Bret survived his colonoscopy yesterday. Two days of a clear liquid diet followed by over a gallon of yucky stuff to drink, followed by being knocked out for a rather invasive procedure. Judging by the photos he came home with, his colon is now cleaner than my windows--which probably isn't saying a whole lot.

Five.

I like our dog, Max, and I am glad he survived his recent scrape with whatever it was that took his brother Shiloh. But I am not a "dog person", and I find it really hard to like dog behavior. How can I embrace a creature who will eat his own vomit--or anyone else's, for that matter? I know, I know: they are loyal to a fault. The darned dog likes me better than anyone in the house, and I can't step out the door without tripping all over him. I'm just saying. I think I will retain my preference for cats.

Six.

Father's Day this weekend. Beef is apparently not on the menu, as I forgot about the hanging time! Oh well...I guess it will be on the menu for the Fourth of July.

Seven.

The boys are totally over the top this morning. Since breakfast, which was not artificially colored and flavored Sugar Nuggets and corn syrup, they have been engaging in wild games that involve a lot of running up and down the hall and screaming. Just think of monkeys when they get really keyed up about something. Now, imagine those same monkeys on amphetamines. I am about to lose my mind. I think it is time to restore order with a timed math drill...

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I'm Nadja, a homeschooling Catholic mother, and a late bloomer. This is my little space where I record bits and pieces of our lives here on two acres of Tennessee. You'll find a little about small-scale farming, eclectic homeschooling, arts and crafts, some cooking and baking, our Catholic faith and a lot of photos of my six kids.